South Africa’s truck OEM arena is becoming increasingly competitive with established manufacturers facing strident opposition from new brands, most notably from China. For MAN Truck & Bus South Africa (MTBSA), the appointment of new executive leadership with MAN captaincy experience in the Chinese market may prove to be the antidote to threatened market share and the fuel for its next phase of growth.

Effective 17 August 2026, the company has appointed Andrew O’Brooks as managing director and Matthew Squires as head of customer service management. Together, the appointments strengthen MTBSA’s leadership capability as the company continues to support customers, dealer partners and the broader transport industry.

According to MTBSA, “the emergence of new international brands is reshaping the competitive landscape and providing customers with greater choice than ever before.”

In this environment, success is determined by far more than product quality, the company says. Strong customer partnerships, responsive aftersales support, operational excellence, resilient supply chains and trusted leadership have become key differentiators.

Rather than responding to these market dynamics by reducing its ambitions, MTBSA says it is investing in experienced leadership to position the business for long-term, sustainable growth.

A new leadership chapter
The appointments mark the beginning of a new leadership chapter for MTBSA, following the conclusion of Jan Aichinger’s tenure as managing director.

During his leadership, Aichinger strengthened MAN’s position in the South African market while reinforcing the company’s commitment to its customers, employees and dealer network.

“I leave South Africa having built incredible relationships with our employees, customers, dealer partners and stakeholders. While I may be moving overseas, this is not goodbye, but rather ‘see you later’. South Africa has truly become my home, and I leave knowing the business is in capable hands for its next chapter,” says Aichinger.

MAN extended its appreciation to Aichinger for his leadership and contribution and wished him every success as he assumes the role of managing director of MAN Hungary.

High performance transformer takes the wheel
Leading the next chapter is Andrew O’Brooks, who brings more than four decades of international experience in the commercial vehicle industry. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for transforming businesses, developing high-performing teams and strengthening customer relationships across Europe, Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. Most recently, he served as managing director of MAN Truck & Bus Trading China and head of Cluster Greater China.

His appointment reflects the strategic importance of South Africa within MAN’s international network and the company’s confidence in the long-term potential of the local market.

“My vision is to lead MAN Truck & Bus South Africa into its next chapter by building on our employee confidence, redefining our market promise and fostering a culture where every challenge strengthens our competitive edge, while never losing sight of customer success,” says O’Brooks.

“MAN Truck & Bus South Africa is a business with immense potential, resilient people and an accelerating industrial transformation. I believe we have more than an equal opportunity not just to participate but to lead in shaping the future of mobility across Southern Africa.”

Looking ahead, O’Brooks believes MAN’s future success will depend on understanding the evolving needs of customers across South Africa and neighbouring markets while maintaining the highest standards of product quality, service excellence and customer support. He believes sustainable growth will be driven by empowered employees, strong leadership and a relentless focus on customer success.

“Customers pay our salaries. They choose MAN because of our people, our attitude and the service we deliver every day. That is what will define our success.”

Customer service takes center stage
Complementing this leadership is the appointment of Matthew Squires as head of customer service management.

As fleet operators place greater emphasis on vehicle uptime, total cost of ownership and responsive aftersales support, experienced leadership in customer service has become increasingly important to long-term success.

Beginning his career as an apprentice technician more than 36 years ago, Squires has progressed through technical, aftersales and executive leadership roles across several international markets, most recently serving as director operations for MAN Truck & Bus Hong Kong.

His career reflects MAN’s long-standing commitment to developing talent from within and brings extensive operational expertise to the South African business.

“Throughout my career, MAN has invested in my development and continually challenged me to grow,” says Squires. “I look forward to working alongside our teams and dealer partners to continue enhancing the customer experience and delivering the reliable support our customers have come to expect from MAN.”

Together, these appointments strengthen MTBSA’s executive leadership capability as the company continues to support customers, dealer partners and the broader transport industry through its next phase of growth.

Backed by global expertise, local commitment and a clear customer-first philosophy, MAN Truck & Bus South Africa enters its next chapter focused on delivering innovative transport solutions, operational excellence and trusted partnerships that will help keep South Africa and the region moving, the company concludes.

Editor’s comment: In an increasingly crowded South African commercial vehicle market, customers ultimately judge a truck brand by what happens after the vehicle leaves the showroom – uptime, parts, technical support, dealer responsiveness and the quality of the relationship with the fleet operator. MAN’s decision to pair international commercial vehicle experience at the top with deep technical and aftersales expertise sends a clear message that customer support will be central to its next phase. Good luck to you, gentlemen!

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